


Couples Try Couples Counseling for the First Time

by mediocregrace



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 19:16:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15647229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mediocregrace/pseuds/mediocregrace
Summary: Shane and Ryan reluctantly agree when they're asked to be in a Buzzfeed video about couples therapy, despite not being out to anyone but their families and close friends. They're not quite sure what to expect.





	Couples Try Couples Counseling for the First Time

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea since the Vulture Mine episode came out because the moment Shane says "I'm not trying to do that whole dismissive thing..." really screams couples counseling to me. I waited so long to write this because I've only recently gotten into posting my works for other people to see. I hope you enjoy this! 
> 
> Find me on tumblr at heterophobiclarry

It took Ryan and Shane quite a while to tell their coworkers that they were dating. Not because they didn’t feel safe doing so, or because they didn’t trust their coworkers. They chose to wait because they didn’t want to be asked to appear in every couples video that Buzzfeed produced, as a means to get views and gain diversity points. It wasn’t a secret to any Buzzfeed producer that putting Ryan and Shane in the thumbnail of any video increased clicks by at least 10%.

What Ryan and Shane didn’t plan for was the combination of their inability to be near each other without touching, and their coworkers’ perceptiveness. They received many eyebrow raises from various coworkers, but the first person to actually say something to them was Kelsey Darragh. 

Kelsey approached their desks, “Hey guys, I’m working on this project and it turns out I’m actually one couple short. Would you guys mind joining? It’s only one video over the course of a couple weeks.”

Both Buzzfeed Unsolved and Ruining History were on hiatus, so. given the lack of scheduling conflict, Shane said, “Wait, before we accept... what exactly is the project.”, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. 

“The idea of the project is to make people more open to seeking mental help, so I wanted to show that even healthy couples can benefit from trying couples’ therapy.” Kelsey explained

Sputtering, Ryan interjected, “Wait - couples? We’re not a - you don’t think we’re... me and Shane?” 

Kelsey scrunched up her face, perplexed, “You’re not? Really? Everyone thinks you guys are dating.”

Shane and Ryan looked at each other, sharing a sigh. Shane spoke up first, “Should we.... I mean...” he trailed off, eyeing Ryan’s face. 

Ryan took a deep breath, “Okay, fine... you’re right.”, he turned back toward Kelsey, “Yeah, we’ll be in it. We didn’t realize everyone already knew.”

\---

Ryan sat in the living room of the apartment that he and Shane shared. He racked his brain for topics to bring up with the therapist. In reality, he and Shane had a pretty healthy relationship. They argued sometimes, but mostly over trivial things like whose turn it was to take out the trash and what movie they were going to watch. 

Ryan was startled out of his mental rant by the sounds of his boyfriend in the kitchen behind him. Smiling, he got up to join his taller counterpart for breakfast before their appointment. 

Shane was reaching up to get a box of cereal from a high cabinet when Ryan wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, kissing his shoulder. Shane jumped at the contact before relaxing into his touch, “Morning, baby. You got up early didn’t you?”

Ryan hummed in response, “Yeah, I guess I’m a little nervous about everything.” 

Shane turned around and planted a kiss on his boyfriend’s forehead. “We don’t have anything to worry about... right? I don’t have any deep dark secrets, nothing you don’t already know, I mean.”

Walking over and sitting down at their table, Ryan sighed. “I guess it’s just everything about it. I’m afraid we’ll find out from this therapist that we’re not as perfect as I feel like we are or... or the fans will react badly when the video comes out and confirms everything.”

With a sad smile, Shane replied, “Any fans who aren’t okay with it really shouldn’t be fans of our content anyway.”

\---

After breakfast, Shane and Ryan sat on their couch to film their “before” video to discuss what they think they’ll get out of attending couples therapy together.

“So... surprise, I guess. Bone stilts Madej over here and I have been dating for...” he turned to Shane, “How long have we been dating?”

Shane burst out laughing, “It’ll be a year in September, I think.” 

They smiled at each other for a moment before Ryan turned to the camera, “We don’t have an official start... we just kind of happened.”

\---

Ryan and Shane sat crammed together on a ridiculously uncomfortable vinyl couch, smiling awkwardly as the therapist explained to them how the session would go, before giving them time to explain what kind of issues they generally experienced. 

Shane spoke first, “I think our biggest issue is that we both get really invested about things that we disagree on. I don’t know if you’ve heard of us or anything but we have a show where... the whole point of it is that he believes in supernatural bullshit and I don’t. So I guess the fact that our main source of income is arguing with each other can be stressful sometimes.”

Perking up, Ryan added, “Yeah, I agree. It’s not the disagreements that bother me, really. We have a lot of really fun banter, but it’s definitely stressful that our whole marketing point is that we can’t agree on anything. And...” he trailed off, suddenly sheepish. 

The therapist raised an eyebrow, “And...? This is a safe space, remember, you can say anything in this room.” 

Ryan looked at the floor and sighed, “I guess sometimes I do get frustrated because Shane always refuses to try and see my side. I know he doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but I just wish he would actually make an effort rather than being constantly dismissive and unwilling to even try to be open to changing.”

Shane shifted uncomfortably beside him, “I didn’t realize you felt that way, I’m sorry.”

Before Ryan could get a word out, the therapist interrupted, “And what about you Shane? Is there anything that you want to bring up with Ryan?”

Shane looked down at his hands for a second, and then up at Ryan. “I think ... I mean it’s pretty similar to that, but I think we have a difficult time compromising sometimes. I always end up giving up because I don’t want us to argue.”

\---

Armed to the teeth with new strategies for having a healthy relationship, Shane and Ryan walked out of the office hand in hand. 

Once in the car, Ryan turned to Shane, almost sheepish, “I’m sorry I kind of blindsided you there. I didn’t mean to, it just sort of came out, I guess.”

“It’s okay. We know how to deal with things better now. It was good that we got stuff out instead of pretending like our relationship is perfect”

\---

Before they knew it, the three sessions of couples therapy had been completed and they were required to record a video about the impact of the therapy sessions on their relationship. 

They smiled awkwardly at the camera as they began to explain what the couples therapy process was and how many sessions they had attended.

Despite being in the public eye, they really preferred to keep some things to themselves, which led to them holding the details of their disagreements back, choosing instead to vaguely explain that their experience with couples therapy showed them how to deal with any future issues that could come up. 

In the long run, their relationship was much better off having gone through the experience together, and the strategies they learned actually did slip into their daily lives. 

It slipped out when they filmed their Goatman post-mortem video, when they accidentally started explaining the importance of compromise in any healthy relationship, leading Ryan to say “Now we really do sound like an old married couple.”, referencing a moment earlier in the day in which their friend Sara had laughed at them for bickering over whose turn it was to cook dinner. 

It also slipped out when they were filming their Vulture Mine episode, when Ryan asked Shane if he had also heard the disembodied footsteps. Shane opened his mouth to make a snarky remark, before stopping himself, “I don’t mean to do that whole dismissive thing... but I’m dismissing it.”

In the end, they still disagreed. They still had different opinions about the supernatural, they still exchanged more witty banter than the average person could handle, and they still had difficulty with compromise at times, but now all of those negative traits were coupled with coping mechanisms and strategies, and their relationship was all the better for it.


End file.
